Books, books, books...

Evan and I have recently noticed that Chloe seems to be really into books these days. When deciding on what toys to play with, she pulls her books out first passing over talking dolls and rolling, singing turtles. Who would have thought? Her favorite book is currently "10 Kisses", perhaps because it is the biggest in size? She actually turns the pages, points to the pictures, and occasionally says "baby".

New friends for Chloe...

I recently purchased some adorable animal pictures to bring some life to Chloe's playroom. We finally got around to hanging them this last week, and they have brought nothing but pure entertainment for our little girl. She talks to her new friends all day long and even points them out to us if she feels we're not giving them proper attention. It is hilarious! The other night I was rocking her in the chair as she finished her bedtime bottle and watched as her eyes finally shut indicating she was down for the night. Suddenly, her eyes pop wide open, she sits up completely alert and points to the alligator and says "dat", and then slumps back down in my arms and falls back asleep.

Day at the Park...

One day last week Chloe woke up from her nap in a particularly grumpy mood. I had a feeling that feeding her lunch was going to be challenging so I decided a change of scenery would do us both some good. So, I packed up the stroller and we headed off to Columbia Park, which is conveniently located a mere two blocks away. Although she put up quite a fight getting into the stroller, once we left the house and the wheels started rolling her mood changed quickly.

Chloe seems to be fascinated with trees and birds these days. It was actually a little difficult feeding her because she was constantly looking up at the tall trees around her. Every little sound or child passing by caught her attention, and she waved to almost every person that walked by. It was a bit chilly out, especially since we were in the shade the entire time, but I welcomed the opportunity to bust out some of her warmer Fall clothing.

We had a lovely afternoon at the park. It's days like these that remind me how lucky I am to get to be home with her. Here are some pictures I took to try and capture the mood.

First two teeth...

Chloe's two bottom front teeth are now through the gum. She seemed a little grumpier than usual the week they came through, but other than a little extra whine she was a trooper.

Chloe's Playdate...

This past Friday we invited the kiddos from our Baby&Me group over to our house for a playdate. I think there were 5 babies + Chloe. She had a great time and didn't even seem to notice that other babies were playing with her toys.

Things can get a bit competitive at these weekly playdates. Here is Chloe vying for a spot on the blanket.

Chloe in her pretty blue dress.

Sweet little Neve in the Jumperoo.

Hewet looks like he's ready for a nap.

Who needs toys when you have vents and windows?

Two down, two to go!

Regulation - 95% (old news) and BEC - 89%. I have to say that passing this most recent exam has been exceptionally gratifying. The weeks leading up to it were pretty horrendous and I want to thank my wonderful husband for puting up with my crankiness and supporting me. We are going to celebrate with a capital "C" when I finally receive my certification. My next exam is scheduled for October 16th. Only 4 weeks left to study, Yikes!

OMG... she's standing!

Chloe is now pulling herself up to a standing position at every possible opportunity. If there is a chair, box, window sill within her sights, she will army crawl herself right over and pull up to her feet.

Here is Chloe standing at our rocking chair (which we have to keep on lock these days).